‘Moderate drinkers’ underestimate consumption by up to 40%

Regular drinkers underestimating their consumption by up to 40 per centDavid Jones/PA

Regular drinkers are deluding themselves about how much they are knocking back, underestimating their consumption by up to 40 per cent, according to the Department of Health.

Its snapshot into the nation’s drinking habits found 80 per cent of people who regularly drink more than the national guidelines still consider themselves “moderate drinkers” and two thirds have no desire to cut back.

It suggests that government warnings about the dangers of excessive drinking are failing to hit home. For the research, everyday drinkers were required to keep a diary for a fortnight after giving an estimate of how much they thought they drank.

On average, the diaries reveal they were drinking the equivalent of an extra-large glass of wine each day more than their estimate,…